AMHERST — The director of the state Department of Labor Relations is advising representatives for both the University of Massachusetts and the Professional Staff Union at the UMass campuses in Amherst and Boston to continue bargaining on a new contract before mediation takes place.
Philip Roberts wrote in a Dec. 8 letter that, due to unresolved issues, face-to-face negotiations should continue to narrow the scope of conversation until at least mid-January.
The contract for the union that represents 2,400 employees on the two campuses expired in July 2024. Since that time, the university and the Professional Staff Union’s bargaining team have met 48 times, with terms of the previous contract still in effect.
“Once the parties have bargained and narrowed the focus of their differences, they can report back to the department their progress toward resolution of their differences, and a decision will be made on the appropriateness of mediation at that time,” Roberts wrote. “It is in the parties’ best interest to resolve as many core issues as possible prior to mediation.”
The union issued a statement supporting Roberts’ memo: “We very much look forward to getting back to the bargaining table and reaching a fair contract for our members.”
Leaders for the union added that this is a win, contending the administration is attempting to circumvent bargaining and impose what it describes as “unilateral takebacks.” The union has criticized the concept of having merit-based pay affecting a portion of a wage increase set to go into effect in January 2027.
In a statement, UMass spokesperson Emily Gest said the university didn’t request an immediate impasse declaration. Instead, it filed a “Petition for Mediation and Fact-Finding” to request the presence of a neutral, third-party mediator provided by the Department of Labor Relations to assist in the ongoing negotiations.
“Any opportunity to continue to bargain in good faith is welcomed by the university,” Gest said, noting that UMass fully agrees with the Department of Labor Relations that “it is in the parties’ best interest to resolve as many core issues as possible prior to mediation.”